In no particular order, this area of the Costa Blanca is special to me because of:-
1) The Weather – OK, at times there are rare wet days, but almost every other day of the year we here in the La Zenia area enjoy the very unusual and pleasant microclimate as a result of the salt lakes of Torrevieja. The air is clear and sparkling like pure Spanish Cava, the sky is a bright turquoise, the sea is a stunning deep blue and the sun is always glorious!
2) The Lack of Perfection – its not perfect in Spain– no one would say there have not been mistakes made here; We have unfinished buildings along the coast, empty retail units for let, the unintelligible cogs of Spanish red tape (actually I am struggling to think of other bad things) but I quite like that it isn´t posh and its not supposed to be perfect!
3) The People on the Costa Blanca – of all the places I have lived (north and south of England), the people on the Costa Blanca, of all nationalities, are as a rule; down to earth, honest and looking to enjoy life in Spain to the full. There are always exceptions but I just steer clear of them like I would at home. Their “joie de vivre” and love of fiestas is infectious and makes it a very happy place to live or to holiday.
4) The Food and drink – The Orihuela Costa is one of the cheapest places to eat a wide variety of food, tapas and drink in Europe. Yes, there are cities with cafes and restaurants of every persuasion, but this variety and this cheap, I don´t think it exists elsewhere. Who can resist the Spanish favourites- the squid, tortilla, sangria, or a selection of delicious tapas and a vino or Cerveza.
5) The lack of traffic on the way to work – yes, I love it! I can drive where I want with barely a queue to be seen and a lack of stress on the road. My communte to work lasts 6 or 7 minutes every day.
6) New projects – like the exciting new La Zenia Boulevard, who someone described as like a shopping Disneyland (she meant it in a good way). I would say it is paradise…. A huge, varied shopping centre with a variety of options for spending, eating and entertainment – just heaven. We also have gained a beautiful new municipal theatre in Torrevieja in recent years. The sports facilities too are constantly improving, perhaps that why Spain win so much?
7) Spain´s Outdoor Living: I just love the fact that it is the middle of October, my son has just been in the swimming pool this morning, we are off to the beach this afternoon with friends. Probably this week we will enjoy a walk along the coastal cliff path between La Zenia and Cabo Roig or at the beautiful salt lakes, maybe followed by a barbecue with friends. This way of life with fresh air and so much sunshine has to be one of the best things about the Costa Blanca.
8) The fresh fish: visit most supermarkets and they have a fresh fish counter which will put some fishmongers in England to shame. The variety of fish is outstanding. My local supermarket Mercadona, had a massive swordfish yesterday perched in the middle of the display with its pointy tip carefully shielded by a Spanish orange. I bought some fresh squid and stuffed it with a spicy pork mix. Delicious and probably caught fresh in the Mediterranean that morning!
9) The beaches of La Zenia, Cabo Roig and Campoamor. I grew up on the north east coast of England. The beaches there were good for England and won many awards. However I don´t remember us ever going there. Why? Because the sea was dirty, dark and mostly grey and there were very few days warm enough to enjoy the beach or paddle in the sea. Here some people even swim in the aquamarine sea in the middle of winter (although I think they are slightly mad!), the sand is a light golden colour and spotlessly clean, thanks to the local Orihuela Costa town hall. Even in the hottest days of August the beach can be enjoyed at some point of the day.
10) The fruits and veg: many years ago this area was purely agricultural, it was famous all over Europe for it and now there are still many fields of fruits and vegetables on the Costa Blanca to be enjoyed. The oranges here are possibly the best in the world- maybe just behind Seville. I remember when I first came to Spain how I could not believe how good the tomatoes tasted and I still see this reaction often from my visitors as they taste the fresh often organic local Spanish produce.
All in all, you can see why I live on the Orihuela Costa in the Southern Costa Blanca and I would encourage anyone else to come and sample it here, for a short or long stay…
Aproveche! Enjoy!
Amanda Thomas Spanish Solutions
1) The Weather – OK, at times there are rare wet days, but almost every other day of the year we here in the La Zenia area enjoy the very unusual and pleasant microclimate as a result of the salt lakes of Torrevieja. The air is clear and sparkling like pure Spanish Cava, the sky is a bright turquoise, the sea is a stunning deep blue and the sun is always glorious!
2) The Lack of Perfection – its not perfect in Spain– no one would say there have not been mistakes made here; We have unfinished buildings along the coast, empty retail units for let, the unintelligible cogs of Spanish red tape (actually I am struggling to think of other bad things) but I quite like that it isn´t posh and its not supposed to be perfect!
3) The People on the Costa Blanca – of all the places I have lived (north and south of England), the people on the Costa Blanca, of all nationalities, are as a rule; down to earth, honest and looking to enjoy life in Spain to the full. There are always exceptions but I just steer clear of them like I would at home. Their “joie de vivre” and love of fiestas is infectious and makes it a very happy place to live or to holiday.
4) The Food and drink – The Orihuela Costa is one of the cheapest places to eat a wide variety of food, tapas and drink in Europe. Yes, there are cities with cafes and restaurants of every persuasion, but this variety and this cheap, I don´t think it exists elsewhere. Who can resist the Spanish favourites- the squid, tortilla, sangria, or a selection of delicious tapas and a vino or Cerveza.
5) The lack of traffic on the way to work – yes, I love it! I can drive where I want with barely a queue to be seen and a lack of stress on the road. My communte to work lasts 6 or 7 minutes every day.
6) New projects – like the exciting new La Zenia Boulevard, who someone described as like a shopping Disneyland (she meant it in a good way). I would say it is paradise…. A huge, varied shopping centre with a variety of options for spending, eating and entertainment – just heaven. We also have gained a beautiful new municipal theatre in Torrevieja in recent years. The sports facilities too are constantly improving, perhaps that why Spain win so much?
7) Spain´s Outdoor Living: I just love the fact that it is the middle of October, my son has just been in the swimming pool this morning, we are off to the beach this afternoon with friends. Probably this week we will enjoy a walk along the coastal cliff path between La Zenia and Cabo Roig or at the beautiful salt lakes, maybe followed by a barbecue with friends. This way of life with fresh air and so much sunshine has to be one of the best things about the Costa Blanca.
8) The fresh fish: visit most supermarkets and they have a fresh fish counter which will put some fishmongers in England to shame. The variety of fish is outstanding. My local supermarket Mercadona, had a massive swordfish yesterday perched in the middle of the display with its pointy tip carefully shielded by a Spanish orange. I bought some fresh squid and stuffed it with a spicy pork mix. Delicious and probably caught fresh in the Mediterranean that morning!
9) The beaches of La Zenia, Cabo Roig and Campoamor. I grew up on the north east coast of England. The beaches there were good for England and won many awards. However I don´t remember us ever going there. Why? Because the sea was dirty, dark and mostly grey and there were very few days warm enough to enjoy the beach or paddle in the sea. Here some people even swim in the aquamarine sea in the middle of winter (although I think they are slightly mad!), the sand is a light golden colour and spotlessly clean, thanks to the local Orihuela Costa town hall. Even in the hottest days of August the beach can be enjoyed at some point of the day.
10) The fruits and veg: many years ago this area was purely agricultural, it was famous all over Europe for it and now there are still many fields of fruits and vegetables on the Costa Blanca to be enjoyed. The oranges here are possibly the best in the world- maybe just behind Seville. I remember when I first came to Spain how I could not believe how good the tomatoes tasted and I still see this reaction often from my visitors as they taste the fresh often organic local Spanish produce.
All in all, you can see why I live on the Orihuela Costa in the Southern Costa Blanca and I would encourage anyone else to come and sample it here, for a short or long stay…
Aproveche! Enjoy!
Amanda Thomas Spanish Solutions
